Town Pop. 35,414

Living in Bishop's Stortford: Liveability Score 65/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bishop's Stortford scores 65/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 66/100 against a national town median of 21/100. No other settlement in the CM22 postcode district scores higher. Bishop's Stortford leads all 14.

Notably, nothing falls below 47/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. It scores 18 points above the CM22 postcode district as a whole, which averages 47/100. On lifestyle specifically, Bishop's Stortford sits 36 points above the CM22 district figure of 30/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CM22 postcode district.

65
OUT OF 100
Good
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Bishop's Stortford scores 65 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bishop's Stortford.
Or compare:
CM22 6AA CM22 7AA CM22 CM23

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
76
70.3 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 1,003 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 492 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 180 crimes
↓ 18% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 168 crimes
↓ 31% below national average
Vehicle crime 146 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
other 499 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 109 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 90 crimes
  3. 3 Plaw Hatch Close 76 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
71
Air Quality NO₂ 8.3 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 11.9 µg/m³
70
Green Space 75
Parks Ample 47
Sports Pitches Ample 48
Allotments Ample 4
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 9
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 35

Services

Schools
65
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 20 in area · 22 within 4km
2Outstanding14Good4Ungraded
  • The Bishop's Stortford High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science CollegeSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery, Bishop's StortfordPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Avanti Meadows Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Hillmead Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Hockerill Anglo-European CollegeSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Manor Fields Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Northgate Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Richard Whittington Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2019
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
53
A&E departmentsPrincess Alexandra Hospital5.9 mi
Broomfield Hospital13.2 mi
Queen Elizabeth II Hospital14.6 mi
Hospital waitsThe Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust0.6 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.7%
3 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,253 patients per GP
7dentists7pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
67
Full fibre (FTTP)67.9%
available across East Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
87.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
89.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 893 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
81
Employment rate64.7%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64.7%Unemployed2.9%Retired19.3%Student4.6%Other inactive8.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial48.7%Skilled & technical32.1%Routine & elementary19.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.6%Level 3 (A levels)17.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)40%Apprenticeship4.4%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership72.5%
Among the least-deprived 13% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
47
Council tax East Hertfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,637
B £1,909
C £2,182
D £2,455
E £3,001
F £3,546
G £4,092
H £4,910
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
58
Bishop's Stortford 0.3 mi
Stansted Mountfitchet 2.9 mi
Sawbridgeworth 3.7 mi
J8 M11 1.5 mi
J8A M11 1.6 mi
J8 M11 2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
66
Pubs & Bars Ample 21
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 60
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 26
Retail Shopping Ample 237
Takeaways Ample 29
Fitness Ample 45

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £420,000 284
Detached £650,000 77
Semi-detached £445,000 78
Terraced £375,000 71
Flat / Maisonette £242,500 58
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£232k £383k £539k £690k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Nearby places

Birchanger 54 1.7 mi away ⇄
Spellbrook 45 2.2 mi away ⇄
Bury Green 36 2.3 mi away ⇄
Little Hallingbury 52 2.3 mi away ⇄
Stansted Mountfitchet 55 2.9 mi away ⇄
Little Hadham 36 3.2 mi away ⇄
Takeley Street 40 3.5 mi away ⇄
Burton End 46 3.6 mi away ⇄
Manuden 38 3.6 mi away ⇄
Perry Green 44 3.7 mi away ⇄
Hadham Cross 49 3.9 mi away ⇄
Sawbridgeworth 55 4.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bishop's Stortford a nice place to live?

Yes, Bishop's Stortford is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Bishop's Stortford is 65/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Bishop's Stortford?

Bishop's Stortford is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 76/100. There were 2,488 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bishop's Stortford?

Among the top-rated schools in Bishop's Stortford are The Bishop's Stortford High School and The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 20 rated schools in Bishop's Stortford in total.

What are house prices like in Bishop's Stortford?

The current median house price in Bishop's Stortford is £420,000, around 47% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £650,000, semi-detached £445,000, terraced £375,000, flat £242,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 2%. There were 284 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Bishop's Stortford in context

See where Bishop's Stortford ranks among the best places to live in Hertfordshire

Postcode districts in Bishop's Stortford

CM22 47 ⇄
CM23 63 ⇄

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